Return of the Forgotten Friend
by Unglaus19
Summary: The mysterious and unmentioned member of Nine's Own Goal finally comes to light. He quit the game years ago, at least, that's what everyone thought. He returns now to answer the important questions. Who is he? Why did he leave? And what is he doing in the New World? And how will he affect Ainz plans world domination? Will the answers bring Happiness? Or will they bring Sorrow?
1. Prologue

**A/N- So this is my first ever fanfic. I spent a lot of time contemplating whether or not to do this but I have a lot of free time so I decided why the hell not. So I hope you like it. This chapter is basically just some back story on the character that I came up with heading into the real thing. I did a lot of research into the real world Maruyama created so if there's some things you don't understand it probably won't be too hard find out on the overlord fandom wiki. Also my story will pick up right at the end of volume 13 so if you haven't read up to that volume there will probably be a lot of spoilers in later chapters.****Disclaimer: I do not own Overlord, I only own characters who I create**.

**Prologue**

Hikaru:

He was 5 years old when he made contact with another child. In fact these were the first humans he had met other than his parents and the maids for over a year. He thought he would be happy about it, that finally his grim life that was shrouded in darkness would be pierced by the light of hope. And yet, no one spoke to him. All the children who were around him looked different, the best he received from them was a glance of indifference. The small flame that had ignited in his heart began to dim.

"This is shit."

His mother had always told him never to use bad language, that those words belonged to adults. But he didn't care what she thought. After all, it was her fault his life was as it was now, drowning in the limitless pit of depression. One would have thought this little boy would have been happy, for compared to the rest of humanity he was the luckiest boy in the world. Adopted into the great Kazuhiko family that was in command of the largest conglomerate business on the planet, he had access to all things money could buy. As the only child he would inherit the "throne" when his mother walked away from her so called "kingdom." Yet 5 year old Hikaru didn't care. He wanted to be normal like everyone else, he had begged them to allow him to go to a normal school with the rest of the children. What a mistake that had been.

"This is shit" Hikaru said once more. "It is isn't it." Someone had spoken to him, yes someone had spoken to him and he didn't recognize their voice. Hikaru's eyes shot toward the direction of the voice and it was another boy. The flame in his heart became fierce, maybe all hope was not lost after all.

"You have really cool eyes" the young boy said. Hikaru had deep blue eyes, a very rare thing when it came to black children. Such a thing should have looked unnatural but it only intensified the boys looks. Even so, the boy was wrong. They weren't cool, they were a curse. If his adopted parents had not liked his eyes, maybe he could have stayed at the orphanage. He was happy there. Hikaru suddenly realised the boys eyes were on him. Not knowing how to answer he said "Thank you, I grew them myself...?" The boy fell into a fit of laughter and Hikaru started to think about what he had said wrong. His mum had told him that laughter was a sign of disrespect.

"You're funny you know." Hikaru stared at him wide eyed in disbelief. "Funny?" he said to himself, "but I didn't say anything funny."

"What you said right now was a joke right?"

"No." Hikaru couldn't will himself to answer out loud though.

"Anyway... My name is Suzuki Satoru, what's yours?"

"My name is Jo- Hikaru Kazuhiko!" The truth is they had changed his name when they arrived in Japan.

"Hikaru huh? That's a cool name. Well, do you want to be my friend?"

"What did you say?" As he looked at Satoru, his beaming smile was the ray of hope that Hikaru had been searching for. It forced him to act. He quickly stood up and pronounced, " YES.. I mean yes, I want to be friends" The smile on Hikaru's face wasn't the fake one he was used to. It was a real genuine smile that shone through. He had made a friend. The first and only friend he would make in the real world.

**7 years later**

Hikaru and Satoru had been inseparable for all these years, they were basically like brothers. To Hikaru, Satoru was the only thing that he cared about; as long as he was happy then Hikaru was too. But no one could always be happy. They stood silently at the funeral. The fun loving Satoru he had grown up with was gone. What stood beside him was an empty carcass, the shell of the boy he knew. You see this boy had seen his dead mother sprawled out before him, the sight had etched itself into his mind, plaguing his every waking moment. Not to mention his sleeping moments, where the nightmares would rip apart his subconscious until he was forced to awaken. Hikaru knew this, but he couldn't comfort him. There were no words that would go through to him. The pain for both these boys were unimaginable. After the funeral, Satoru was sent to a child mental health institution for rehabilitation and in the months that he couldn't see him, Hikaru remembered the darkness that he once lived in. This unruly pit of depression. His grades starting slipping, this straight A student's grades starting to falter into the B then the C category. As the heir to the largest conglomerate in the world this could not be allowed, in fact such a thing was unheard off. His parents who had barely spoken to him these last few years began to lecture him. He couldn't hear a word, as far as he was concerned their words came from within the pit and so he would not allow himself to hear it, to be depressed.

He had to stay strong for Satoru.

But then they said something that snapped him back to reality.

"Young man, we're sending you to boarding school." Hikaru eyes stared into theirs. He wanted to know they were being serious and they were. He couldn't argue, he couldn't fight the will of his mother and father. He had to stay strong for Satoru but how could he if he wasn't even there. The feelings he was bottling up began to gain control. They had slapped him full force across his face and demanded dominance. Through it all he could only think of one thing..

"Let me help Satoru." It came out as little more than a whimper, barely heard by even himself never mind his parents.

"What was that? Speak up boy!" Filled with conviction he took a deep breath and exclaimed "let me help Satoru!"

Normally, beneath their harsh gazes he would have backed down, retreated like a turtle into it's shell. Not today. The fire in his heart burned violently as he puffed out his chest, standing strong with his words.

His mother sighed. "Fine, I shall allow it on one condition." Hikaru nodded furiously so she continued, "you will go to boarding school and achieve the highest marks, if you do this for me I will personally put that boy Satoru through all his education and university." She paused to stare into Hikaru's eyes, no deeper than that. Into his soul, "However if you under achieve by even a single mark I will abandon him."

Blackmail! Anger, that's what Hikaru felt; pure, unadulterated anger. "And one more condition, you are not to contact him at any time, I shall only allow you to say your goodbyes later next week." Through gritted teeth he answered. "Fine!" In the back of his mind he thought, "this reality, my reality... Is ROTTEN"

**12 years later**

Hikaru was now a sophisticated young man. Age 21 he had gained access to his mother's great empire after acing his university courses. His Education had been good for him, it had allowed him to hone his intelligence, moulding his genius into a formidable. There were very few people who could match his intellect and if there was anyone who surpassed him then he or she had not made themselves known to the world. Now aged 24 he pretty much ruled the corporate world after wrangling control of two of the other conglomerates that were his opposition. Not only that but of the other 5 major ones he was in command of 3 from the shadows, constantly causing them to make decisions that would be beneficial to his empire. Oh how great this man's life was, and oh how much he hated it. The real world was still as rotten as when he was brought into it and unlike most people he had no friends to speak of. All the people who clung to him were parasites, trying to earn favour with him. The sheer amount of women who had given their own bodies to him was amusing, but not as amusing as the amount of men swung to even lower levels. Rotten. That was the only word repeated itself over and over in his mind. Every day when he had to wake up, every day when he had to place his air filtering mask on and goggles the word repeated itself.

Rotten, rotten, rotten, rotten, rotten, ROTTEN.

But that was the real world, there was a place where he felt complete, whole. The world of YGGDRASIL. Here he wasn't the leader of the major business world, Hikaru Kazuhiko, nor was he some hot commodity that people swooned over, he was simply Hikaru, the Nephilim paladin. It filled his heart with joy to be normal, like everyone else. To start from the bottom and slowly make a name for himself. He that's what Satoru had done in the real world. It had been a long time since he spoke to Satoru, and it upset him that he had not been able to see him again. So he left him a gift; the specialized console needed to join the world of YGGDRASIL. He had hoped that one day they could meet inside YGGDRASIL but alas he had never come into contact with. At least, not that he knew of... As he sat in his console he allowed himself a reminiscent thought of his old friend before logging in.

Slowly his eyes opened, he had arrived, this was YGGDRASIL. As a heteromorphic character he had been plagued by abuse when he had started, but not now, he was strong enough to fight. Then after aimlessly wandering he come across Ulbert Alain Odle. Together along with his friend Touch me they were able to form a clan of just Heteromorphic beings. Soon every time he logged in he was surrounded by friends. His friends of Nine's Own Goal. On this day he quickly met up with Ulbert and proceeded to their usual room. Although this place was always full of people and conversation things were different today. Touch me was with someone new today, an Undead character.

"Hey, how you doing? My name is Hikaru, what's yours?" But the undead said nothing. Hikaru had become a master of reading tones and facial expressions but that was near impossible in this game and he loved it. It made strategy and cunning much more important and made the game harder. Hikaru loves a challenge. But he didn't like challenges when it came to new friends. He found that challenging enough.

"Hey you alright Momonga? Don't worry these are my friends" said Touch me. This seemed to spark Momonga back into consciousness. He was clearly flustered, you could hear it in his voice and in his movement, "huh.. OH.. Sorry, hi I'm Momonga... But you knew that cos he just said it.." He went quiet, "its just, I used to know someone called Hikaru in the real world..."

Hikaru put up the smiling emoticon, "that's cool its not a very common name, but this isn't the real world, this is YGGDRASIL! Just have fun here and forget about the real world for now." Hikaru was genuine, here he didn't need the real world. To him the real world was the burden. However this was directly tied with the real world for little did Hikaru know that he was actually engaged in conversation with his childhood friend.

A few months past, months full of bliss and fun, months where Hikaru did not have to stay in the disgusting real world. Yet life could not be that kind. At some point it was bound to happen. When the real world would collide with this paradise.

Touch me stormed into the room with his voice raised. "Where is he!" He shouted.

"Who?" "Hikaru! Where the HELL is he?!" Hikaru ran into the room, he was perplexed. He had never heard touch me angry never mind to this extent. It was shocking and left a sour taste in his mouth.

"WOAH, what's going on?" He replied. Touch me put up the angry emoticon, this was unprecedented, yes they had disagreements often but not enough to warrant such an emoticon.

"You lied to us!" Touch me did not need to use the emoticons for everyone to realise this was serious and the atmosphere in the room dropped like a rock in the sea. In the corner of the room sat Momonga, who was staring in silence. Normally Momonga would sit in the middle of a disagreement and be the neutral third party but to today he didn't. The taste in Hikaru's mouth grew worse.

"You lied, tell them who you really are, Hikaru Kazuhiko!" A stunned silence spread through the room except the odd gasp. The taste in his mouth was too much now. Even without the taste Hikaru still couldn't bring himself to answer. "You lied to all of us, acting as if you didn't have money! How many times did we all pitch in to pay for your things! Turns out you're the richest man in the world!"

Hikaru couldn't find the words to help his case, all he had was "I'm sorry, I just wanted to be normal like all of you. I paid for most of my own stuff but now and again I wanted to be like the rest of you, to know what having friends was like. I'm sorry." The last part came out as a whimper, the last time he had spoken like that he was a 12 year old child, succumbing to the pressure of his parents.

"BULLSHIT!" Touch me was definitely angry but that sound did not come from him, it came from the corner, from Momonga. Hikaru felt himself die a little. He had never expected even Momonga to be that angry. Stares came from every direction. Ulbert had tried to speak but he couldn't do it. Unable to face them all he promptly logged out. The room was silent again until Touch me spat out "good riddance." Momonga fell back into his chair, thousands of emotions were now dancing around his mind, his only real world friend had been here, all this time, and he had not known.

For the next few days Momonga had been trying to get into contact with Hikaru with the message skill but he had not logged in even once. It suddenly became apparent the Hikaru had quit the game and he would never see him again. Before he had left he had mailed a lot of money to every member in the clan. Some had rejected it in anger, some had rejected because of guilt but as of right now no one had accepted. Ulbert had blamed Touch me leading to the clan almost splitting but no one wanted to abandon what they had all found here. As anger filled Momonga's, no- Satoru's heart he realized that he never had the chance to thank him for everything that he did. The anger quickly subsided and left a huge pit in it's place. In that moment Momonga wanted to quit, but he couldn't bring himself to. He could never say thank you face to face, but he would continue to play this game with his friends as thanks. After all it was Hikaru that gave him this amazing opportunity. "Thank you Hikaru" he said. And as he looked up at the ceiling of his apartment, he realized he was crying. Satoru was crying real tears. He didn't even cry when his mum had died, but now the anguish of losing his best friend left him broken.

"Life really is shit huh Hikaru"

6 months had passed, and yet the pain in his chest persisted. A deep and heavy pain that clung onto his heart. It would scratch and punch, abusing it day after day after day. Not once in six months had it gotten tired, not once had it got weary and decided to allow him some peace as it rested.

No.

Every second of every minute of every hour of every day was a cruel, gruelling experience. Despair. That's what Hikaru felt. Many people in this world had submitted to despair before, but few had felt it's dominance as greatly as he did right now. This wasn't a simple broken heart. In his moment of weakness, Hikaru had abandoned everything that he held dear to him. His friends, his reality. You see Hikaru didn't accept this dumpster fire in which he was born and raised as his reality. His reality was in there, in YGGDRASIL. In these last few months, he had tried other DMMORPG's, but none had managed to shift the weight in his chest. It just wasn't the same as the world he had fallen in love with. The only thing that helped him cope were thoughts of YGGDRASIL. He had heard that Nine's Own Goal has disbanded and become Ainz Ooal Gown with Momonga holding the position of guild leader. It made sense, he was right for that position. In the short time he'd known Momonga he had come to realize that he had a good mind for the game and made wise decisions. He was perfect for the role, truly he was just like his character, an Overlord.

He didn't know what to do with himself. He had no options available to him. So he sat and gazed out of his window. As he looked upon the world that shrouded in misery, he wondered what it was good for. What had he ever gained from this place? What had he gained that he had not lost, abandoned or forgotten? As that question echoed through his mind he found his answer. It dawned on him, it was so simple and always available to him.

He was rich. Rich beyond the wildest dreams of the majority of the populace. What was there that money couldn't buy in today's society. Happiness? Ridiculous. All the happiness he knew existed in the game. And he was determined to get it back.

You may be wondering what Hikaru did in order to get his account back on YGGDRASIL. In fact, he didn't get it back. Can't reactivate a deleted account. Every person had access to only one account and no more. Those were the rules. Hikaru didn't care about rules, and apparently, neither did the developers when he had flashed a huge investment at them. All the people on the creative team has visions of what YGGDRASIL could be, and with the money Hikaru was flaunting, their dreams could be reality. Hikaru offered the investment on one condition, they let him build a completely new character.

This is how Hiroto was born. However this time it was different than before. Before he had hidden who he was, what he possessed. He hated the real world, but he couldn't deny that he had been sufficiently blessed materially. All of the wealth he had inherited and then made would be poured into the game. Every drop, every penny would be used if needed. At the end of the day, Yggdrasil was a play to win game, and paying definitely wasn't a problem for him. With this new found conviction, Hikaru or rather Hiroto took the game by storm. Most people who played this game had specialized builds. Whether for role playing purposes like Momonga or for maximum effect like Ulbert. However Hikaru went for a completely different approach. He wanted complete flexibility, in other words complete unpredictability; There was no point being strong if all your moves could be predicted and subsequently avoided. Such a build had many downsides. Average in almost every category, not proficient at any one thing with no trump cards to shift the balance. But with tactics that he would acquire by learning as much as he can about his potential opponents, divine grade armour that he had acquired easily from the cash shop and from other players with either in game gold or real world money, and his natural reflexes or his intellect or ability to retain information, he made it work. He died many times in the process, many times before he was able to get to the top, to compete with the best players in the game but he made it.

It had been a wonderful Journey. But now it was nearing the end.

Only 30 seconds remained, 29, 28... Everything he cared about was about to be wiped away.

15, 14, 13... As he was about to return to the real world, he swore to find Satoru.

5, 4, 3, 2... "ARGHHHH!" Hikaru yelled loudly from the depths of his heart. 1, 0...

1, 2, 3

"HUH!" Hikaru's eyes shot open. But he hadn't logged out. In fact he wasn't even in the same place he was when he closed his eyes. "This must be a mistake, right?" Hikaru had never been so confused. If the shutdown had been delayed the development team would have released an announcement. He hadn't received any such announcement. Even so, a delayed shut down couldn't explain why he had been transported to different location. "Could this be the work of another player? But that doesn't make sense, for them to be able to teleport me they would have needed a World Item and the World Item I just received from beating the World Eater should have counteracted it?" Hikaru decided to check his surroundings but there was nothing but grasslands as far as the eye could see however as he turned he saw a huge lattice door that seemed to be half buried. "That's strange he said" he said, as he thought about what to do he couldn't think of anything. Instead of trying to figure out what he couldn't control her decided to push on. "Guess my answers are beyond this door." As he forced the large doors open, a new story began.

**Sooooooo, what do you think? Believe or not I worked really hard on this chapter but towards the end I started running out of good ideas to put into his back story and there's certain things I don't want to reveal straight away so it felt a little rushed.****Also I'm adding like a character level sheet so that you can get some kinda gauge on what kind of player he is.****Hikaru- Dragonoid Battle Mage**

**Racial Classes:**

**Lvl 15 Dragonic-Humanoid**

**Lvl 10 Dragonian Warrior**

**Lvl 10 Dragonian Sorcerer (Elementalist)**

**Lvl 5 Immortal Dragon Lord**

**Job Classes:**

**Lvl 10 Weapons Master (Reduced)**

**Lvl 10 Prime Weapons Master**

**Lvl 5 Master Elementalist**

**Lvl 5 Special Class Illusion Mage- Molder of Reality**

**etc.** **The rest of the levels are a secret ;)**

**Reviews and Constructive Criticism are welcome because boy do I have a lot of learning do...**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N- Here's the first chapter! Basically I thought it would be easier to publish the first chapter at the same time as the prologue. Also, if you see any dialogue surrounded by * then it means its the voice in his head. Got tired of making the distinction so I did that instead.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own overlord, only my own character.**

**Chapter 1**

Ainz sat there in complete silence. His conversation with CZ had long since dried up and his mental capacity was not large enough to think of another way to start talking.

"This is so frustrating!"

He had said it so quietly even he had barely heard it. However that hadn't stopped CZ's line of sight from jerking toward him; it was so unnatural that he almost jumped out of his seat. He couldn't embarrass himself like that, not in front of the NPC's. *Don't worry Ainz, hours of practice led you to this moment. Don't ruin your hard work now!* As he sank deeper into contemplation the confused look on CZ's face grew greater. If one looked hard enough though a microscope, you could see the tiny little crease on her forehead. For CZ this was serious. The gears in her mind were working at such a high level the rest of her bodily functions were slowing down, if not shutting down. She could never even dream of reaching her master's intellect. Even at a time like this, he was so deep in thought, there was no way to predict what he was cooking up. CZ could only imagine the ridiculous plans he had in store for the future: another conquest maybe?; How far ahead was he thinking? A thousand? Ten thousand? A million years?! Although she had always known, this recent mission in the Holy Kingdom had made it so excruciatingly clear that she had no choice but to voice her feelings.

"Wow"

Ainz was mercilessly ripped from his thoughts. His new reality couldn't even allow him a few seconds to gather his thoughts before it dragged him back. *What a drag.* As his eyes re-attuned to the real world, Ainz realised CZ had been staring at him this whole time; Ainz wasn't in the business of having beautiful women stare at him but here he was. Again. No many times he encountered it since he had arrived here, he had never gotten used to it. And he was certain he would never get used to it. *There's only so much a guy can take you know? Oh, she's still staring. What a shock.* As he sighed he came to realise that if he put off asking her what's up any longer, he'd make an utter fool of himself.

"What is it CZ?"

"Oh, nothing lord Ainz. But I was wondering... What are you thinking about?" CZ's blunt question and the monotone voice in which she had delivered it had caught him off guard, like a well timed body punch by a boxer. *What am I supposed to say to that! Do I come clean?*

"Err.. Um.. I was thinking... Err... Yes I was thinking about Nazarick's plans for the future.. Umu" CZ's face didn't even move, not to Ainz anyway. The deep joy CZ felt about predicting her master's thoughts was real though. If one kept the microscope from earlier, then they could clearly see the corners of her lips were twitching. Ainz however, had not noticed it. There was no way he possibly could. In fact if he had a mouth as well it would be twitching as well. His twitching would be so visible, even the people in the holy kingdom would see it. Not from joy like CZ, but from extreme feelings of dread and inadequacy. Ainz' brain was in overdrive, *has she figured out I'm lying arghhhhhh!* Ainz wanted nothing more than to roll around, scratching his head in anguish. The emotional suppression had kicked in a couple of times but Ainz still felt the full weight of his current situation. The pressure was crushing him like an ant under boot of a child. It had taken ten, or maybe twenty, times before the emotional suppression system had returned reason to his mind. Unfortunately, the rational thought he now had hadn't brought any rational suggestions with it as well. *It's a shame because I could really use a good idea right about now.. Maybe I should just come clean before I embarrass myself more.*

"CZ. You see, the truth is-"

"Amazing"

"Huh"

"You are amazing!" Ainz was at a loss for words. He didn't have eyes but if he did they probably would have fallen out anyway considering how widely they'd be open. *Where did that come from?! I don't have the strength for this gig.* Every second he spent as the "the supreme overlord" cost him strength. The mental fortitude he had was decreasing, at an alarming rate.

"Umu.. Thank you" Completely perplexed by the situation he just went with generic answer number one. Answer number one almost never failed. Since his strength was at a record low, he couldn't bring himself to answer any other way.

The palpable silence returned.

[Incoming Message]

If his undead body was capable of weeing he would have wet himself just now. CZ again locked eyes with him and he sighed, *this is all too much.. OH the message!* As he was about to slip back into his thoughts, he remembered that he still had not replied.

"Hello who is it"

"Pardon me Lord Ainz, it is I, Albedo"

"What is the reason for this call?"

"Please forgive me for my inadequacy but we have an intruder and we require your wisdom"

"An intruder you say?!" The strength Ainz had lost just now had returned with a vengeance, this situation was serious beyond measure. "What do you think, is it another player? Maybe the one who brainwashed Shalltear, If so we must get answers. How on earth did they find Nazarick? Don't tell me Jircniv sold us out?!" With the limitless possibilities circulating through his mind, Ainz felt like he was drowning, barely able to keep his head above the water. *This is all too much, how could I fail Nazarick again! I should have predicted something like this would happen eventually.*

On the other end of the line, Albedo was getting increasingly worried. Ainz had gone silent all of a sudden. To hear the stress in her beloved's voice was too much to bear.

"Lord Ainz?! Please can you hear me?! Answer PLEASE!"

This sudden outburst, in conjunction with the emotional suppression finally allowed Ainz to calm down, albeit only slightly.

"I'm here Albedo. Please, calm down." Ainz let out a long and coarse sigh. "Have you already prepared countermeasures for this situation?"

"Yes Lord Ainz, I along with Demiurge have raised the security of Nazarick to maximum. Also we have put everything Floor Guardian and Area Guardian on high alert. Everyone is ready for the intruder."

"Good, good... So, can you tell me which floor he has reached?"

"In the short time in which we have spoken my lord, it seems as though he has reached the third floor. In fact he is about to challenge Shalltear at this moment."

"In one on one combat, Shalltear is the perfect guardian to deal with him. We shall determine the future after we see who the victor is. In the meantime I will travel to Nazarick immediately."

As Ainz cancelled the message, he quickly cast greater teleportation and transported the entire carriage to Nazarick. From there, he made his way to the throne room. Albedo and Demiurge were already there, and bowed deeply before him.

"Welcome back Lord Ainz."

"Indeed, it is an honour to see you again."

"Disregard the flattery and pleasantries, we have important things to discuss."

"Yes of course lord Ainz, please accept my deepest condolences."

"Umu. Now, how is our intruder fairing against Nazarick's strongest guardian?"

Albedo and Demiurge looked at each other, a grim look on both their faces. Demiurge's eyes promptly locked onto the floor as Albedo spoke.

"The situation is dire my Lord. This Intruder is defeating Shalltear. And.." Her voice broke as she was about to continue. She had to pause before continuing as showing her beloved even a hint of weakness was unacceptable. "And he has currently not sustained any damage during the fight."

Ainz shot up from his seat. He didn't need facial expressions for everyone present to understand his reaction.

"Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous!" Ainz was dumb-founded, how could anyone possess this level of strength?

"You must get Nigredo to show me a live feed of the fight. Whilst you prepare that for me Demiurge, Albedo will call all the Floor Guardians except Gargantua to the throne room. That includes Sebas and the Pleiades, call them also."

Albedo was shocked, "is that really wise my lord?!"

"Albedo, do not question his Lord's intentions! His wisdom stretches far further than ours."

"You're right demiurge, please Lord Ainz forgive me. It shall be done immediately."

A few moments passed and all the Guardians had prostrated themselves before Ainz.

"Umu, Thank you for coming my Guardians. The situation that we are currently under is a dire one. One that requires a solution that I can not come up with on my own. That is why you were all called here, so we can work together to form a strategy. Demiurge, how close is the battle to being completed?"

"Lord Ainz, it seems that after a few more attacks land, Shalltear will be dead, however her instant resurrection item will bring her back to full strength. However even with that trick up her sleeve, I doubt she can win this fight."

"Understood. Albedo! Once Shalltear dies and is resurrected, call her here to this room as well. We will need her knowledge to win this fight."

"It shall be done my Lord."

[After a few moments]

"Lord Ainz, it is I, Shalltear. I am so sorry that I have failed you again. Please, take my life as atonement for my sins!"

"Ridiculous Shalltear, when faced by one who is stronger, it is not a sin to lose. You are not guilty of anything. NOW, Demiurge, show everyone the intruder who has dared to step into our home."

Demiurge projected the imagine. Before them stood a man with a cocky grin on his face. The first thing that everyone noticed were his eyes. A deep blue in that could force even the most resilient warriors into a trace. They seemed to suck you in and hypnotise you, making the body go weak and numb. These eyes were in stark contrast to his light brown skin, like a fine milk chocolate. Maybe they should have been at odds with each other, his eyes and skin, but they seemed to perfectly compliment each other, each one enhancing the beauty of the other. And his hair. A deep and elegant black, long and flowing. No one could deny he was beautiful, as if sculpted by the gods themselves, his radiance shone through like a ray in the darkness. He stood before them in some in some incredible armour; it was a matte black with silver lining around its edges. It screamed perfection, the likes that could almost contend with the great throne that Lord Ainz was sat on. In his arm he held a spear, a wonderful black weapon that looked as deadly as it did beautiful. In it's centre lie a large orb. It seemed to shine multiple colours depending on the angle of which you looked at it. **(A/N so... I'm not that good at description but if you want to get a better picture of what kind of armour and weapons he has then check out "one autumn leaf, the kings avatar" on google images)** He was perfection, as well as his armour, as if everything about him was of the highest order. He could contend with the greatest of Nazarick, even Albedo, in regards to sheer beauty and he knew it. The cocky bastard knew what he was. Albedo could not and would not accept it, she was the guardian overseer! There was no way this disgusting intruder, this pitiful lower lifeform could even hope of being considered comparable to the beings of Nazarick. In fact all of the guardians could no longer hide their animosity and their anger radiated from them harshly, flickering, daring anything to get near.

"Now you see the man who threatens us! His power is no joke, he beat Shalltear while only sustaining minimal damage." All the guardians apart from Albedo, Demiurge and Shalltear gasped. This was no easy feat. Simply defeating Shalltear one on one took a tremendous amount of skill, never mind winning and sustaining hardly any damage.

Mare's voice cut through the silence that had fallen. "Um.. So h-how- Um.. How are we gonna defeat him?" Silence fell again in the room.

This time Sebas spoke up. "Do we truly need to defeat him?"

The look on Albedo's face was one of pure rage. What kind of ridiculous suggestion had this man just put forward. And in the presence of her beloved as well.

"Sebas, are you a traitor? This may be the man who brainwashed Shalltear! Even if it wasn't him, he had the audacity to walk into our home with a cocky grin on his face! I will not allow him to leave here alive!"

Although none of the other guardians spoke, Ainz could clearly see on their faces that all of them agreed with Albedo's assessment. They were all so quick to violence that it clouded their judgement.

"When will you ever learn?"

Ainz had not meant to speak those words out loud but that didn't stop the faces of all the NPC's dropping. To them their master was clearly disappointed. The only problem is that they didn't know who it was directed at. Maybe all of them.

Oh well* Ainz thought, *might as well use this opportunity to teach them a lesson about being slower to violence.*

"Albedo"

"Yes my Lord?!"

"Why did you disregard Sebas' suggestion?"

"F-for t-the reasons I mentioned earlier m-my Lord.." Albedo's voice got weaker as she spoke. The earlier conviction she had shown when she had reprimanded Sebas was nowhere to be found. Ainz felt guilty, but he couldn't allow himself to waver now.

"Albedo, I have just one question for you. What happens if this foe is too strong to be defeated?" Albedo couldn't even muster up the strength to give an answer. She knew that she had messed up, and she knew that there was no way out of being humiliated.

"Albedo, I have asked you a question. Answer it. Should we just roll over and die?"

"I'm sorry Lord Ainz, I was careless. Please forgive me" The look on her face was abysmal. The guilt that Ainz was feeling inched closer to the boiling point.

"Albedo, please understand, I am not scolding you. I am doing this to educate you. Violence is not always the answer. You must examine the situation and find a solution that best fits the problem. With that said, I have decided. We shall invite him here to this throne room. To speak with us."

**Hikaru/Hiroto**

Hikaru still had absolutely no idea what was going on. It has taken him maybe 4 steps until he'd been attacked by some low level skeletons. The problem was that when he went to use the command console, he realized it was gone.

"WHAT"

12 skeletons all rushed him at once and he quivered in fear, closing his eyes and waiting for death...

He was still alive? Plus he hadn't taken any damage. "What? In YGGDRASIL I did have the passive skill that allowed me to negate the physical and magical attacks from weaker monsters but this clearly isn't YGGDRASIL." Confusion spread across Hikaru's face. There was no time to analyse the situation. A long sword was swung hard toward his face. Without thinking he dodged easily. "Whoa" After dodging another wild swing he instinctively forced his spear into the monster. Killing it easily. Although he had done kendo in the real world, he had never trained with a spear before. The confusion spread from his face to the nether regions of this mind. Absolutely none of this made sense. Until it dawned on him.

"Don't tell me... IM IN ANOTHER WORLD!" The confusion was promptly switched with delight. The perfect answer to his problems. Instead of a the real world, and instead of a staying in YGGDRASIL, he was in completely new world. A world that was completely unknown but clearly had monsters. Paradise. "I wonder if I can use magic? Well the console is gone so maybe if I just think of what magic I want and then do it?" Hikaru pointed his finger toward the skeletons who had been frantically attacking him this whole time.

[Chain Black Dragon Lightning]

A large flow of black electricity forced its way out of his body and through each individual skeleton, leaving a few broken bones lying on the floor.

"Crazy"

The possibilities were endless. Hikaru could feel the attack range of his spells. Their individual power and potency. He could feel the magic radiating from his body. Unlike some, Hikaru loved to take risks. "Lets see where this tomb takes me."

Hikaru spent almost 30 minutes travelling inside the tomb, now and again coming across undead or other monsters. In this short period of time he had been able to learn a great deal about his powers in this world. As he had suspected, it would seem that he had merged with his in game character and thus had access to all of his abilities. However unlike before, he had no need to use the control console. It also seemed like his reflexes, instincts and weapon proficiency had all shot up. He had all of these skills in the real world, but it would seem as though they had been multiplied by his in game stats. It truly was a shock to him when he had been able to defeat enemies with ease without even thinking and use weapons that he had no training with in the real world. Such weapons were more for aesthetics in the game but here he had a deep understanding of the most minute details and how to fight with them. With all this newfound knowledge he ploughed forward at an alarming rate however he didn't understand how he was doing it all. In fact he was sure that this was one of Yggdrasil's simultaneous attack dungeons that would have taken a legion of at least 36 players to defeat. However here he was, before another huge door. As he opened it he saw a young girl clad in blood red armour.

"It's a bloody Valkyrie Vampire, level 100, -450 Karma rating. Her lance is named Spuit Lance, after she deals bludgeoning damage she regains HP equal to it."

That wasn't Hikaru speaking, rather it was his so called ancestors from the astral plane. When he acquired the 5 levels in "Immortal Dragon King," the flavour texts had said that due to this, he would receive advice from his ancestors. They could also assess his opponents to reveal levels and karma rating as well as appraise different items. In the game this had just led to a slight buff in his appraisal skill but in the new world they seemed to really exist. The first time he had spoken he had pretty much shat himself but after 30 minutes of it he had grown used to it; As though it was an extension of himself.

"Best plan is to avoid direct battle, instead use the bow and attack from long range with the occasional close ranged attack in a moment of weakness. Also only use spells that affect the Astral plane"

"Okay will do."

10 Minutes Later

All in all it had been quite an easy battle. Although she had great strength and equipment, she lacked the ability to devise decent tactics and stratagems. By staying at a distance, Hikaru was able to gain the upper hand just as how his ancestors had said he would. However they didn't realise that she had an instant resurrection item. Now that his MP was at less than half capacity, it would be difficult to continue fighting this way. He had to come up with a plan and quickly otherwise he was going to die right here in this room. His instincts told him that his spear was his best option. It was his most powerful weapon after all. That's when a gate opened and she retreated. A victorious smile spread across Hikaru's face. It would seem as though he had won. He didn't really understand what was happening but he had to take victories wherever they came. As he looked around he saw a staircase, probably leading to the next floor. He sighed, a deep and heavy sigh that came from his fatigue. Not a physical fatigue but a mental one. Getting transported to another world and fighting for your life was no easy feat. There was no way that anyone could go through such an ordeal and come out without a bit of exhaustion. As he paused to rub his forehead, a gate opened in front of him too. All his instincts were telling him not to enter the gate, but seeing as his ancestors didn't speak up he decided to walk through anyway. He came face to face with another large door.

"What is it with large doors today?"

There was no one around to answer his question so as he always did, he proceeded to open the door and step through.

**Throne Room, Nazarick**

The intruder stepped through the door nonchalant. He even looked exasperated as he entered, as if all of this was beneath him. Albedo kept her beautiful smiling face on as he approached but in her heart she felt and intense unquenchable anger. The other guardians were hidden, ready to attack at a moments notice. If it had been up to her, the attack would have commenced already. How could this revolting lower life form dare to take breath in Lord Ainz throne room.

Her facade was slipping, she could not allow that to happen. Her beloved had ordered her to greet and welcome him, to act if she needed to; if her smile faded now, she would have betrayed a direct order from the supreme one.

"Welcome intr- Traveller, you are now in the presence of the Supreme Being, the Overlord Ain-"

"Overlord huh. That was just a playable racial class in Yggdrasil and not so much a real monster. This'll be fun!" The intruder smiled, almost a sadistic smile, as if he enjoyed the idea of challenging the supreme one. Not only that, but he interrupted her as she was about to speak the great name of her master and lover. She could not allow this blasphemy to stand! She no longer had any use for the smile she had been wearing until now and all the pent up rage was released.

Without even a hint of hesitation, Albedo summoned her bardiche and charged forward at break neck speed. She wasn't as strong as Shalltear, but she had absolutely confidence in her abilities, there was no way she could lose head to head to this filthy outsider. But something caused her to feel a twinge of doubt, the intruder had not moved from his position and simply smiled toward the ground. Had he predicted her moves?

No. He must have been too slow to react.*

With full conviction she swung her axe horizontally toward the neck of the fool who had entered. But he had disappeared. In an instant he had dodged the blow matrix style. Albedo could not slow her momentum and thus had no control of her movements. It was a window of only about half a second but it was enough for him. He quickly found his left arm over his body to twist into an upright position and then span another 360 to gain speed. With the speed he had just gained he swung the spear in his right hand toward the bare back of Albedo. She had no control over her body and thus no way to block the blow. It hit her full force and she went flying into the large entrance door to the throne room. The door had taken no damage but the same could not be said about Albedo. This was the first she had ever taken damage, and it hurt.

[Earthquake]

The other Guardians took this as a sign to attack the intruder. Mare's spell must have temporarily caught the intruder off balance which would make it harder for him to defend against the upcoming ambush. Sebas, Shalltear, Cocytus and the Pleiades excluding CZ and Narberal all attacked him at once. The intruder promptly equipped a shield. But if an all out attack like this landed, shield or no shield, there was no way one could survive it.

[Maximize Magic - Greater Counter Shield]

A huge dome like shape spread itself around him before their attacks could land and the reverberations of the contact sent waves through the throne room. All of their attacks were deflected, in fact they all took damage equal to the amount they would have inflicted personally. This was a massive hit to each one of the NPC's. Albedo had only just recovered at the end of the room and had seen the outcome of that attack and she understood that they were outclassed and outmatched, because that shield was more than divine class, it was most likely a World Champion item.

[Twin Maximize Penetrate Magic - Air Variety, Extreme Shockwave]

Two large waves of pure white wind sent all the NPC's back before they could launch a second attack, whilst giving them a dosage of damage on the way.

[Skill - Quick Step]

The intruder completely disappeared then reappeared behind Mare and the other long range fighters. Aura was stationed there to protect them but one quick blow from the spear sent her flying. With the strongest magic caster in front of him, he quickly swung down his spear toward the head of Mare. In Yggdrasil, such an attack would have done critical hit damage however in the new world it was possible to kill with one attack if the move was considered a fatal blow. Ainz had become very well aware of this new condition and it spurred him to action. He too was angry at this man for coming into Nazarick uninvited but this was too much. If he allowed another one of the precious NPC's that he and his friend created, he wouldn't be able to face them. It was time for him to take action.

"STOP THIS MADNESS IN THE NAME OF AINZ OOAL GOWN!"

The intruder ceased his attack, a look of recognition on his face.

"Ainz Ooal Gown? Then that means, you're Momonga... Right?"

**Cliffhanger...**

**So how did you find my first chapter? I hope it was good. Please leave a review with any opinions and also any criticism because I want this to be as good as possible. Also if I get any information wrong let me know.**

**Also my character is strong but he's not over the top Kirito SAO type strong. All of this will be explained next chapter...**


	3. Chapter 2

**Guess who's back****! You know, when I used to just read fanfictions I hated Cliffhangers so thought I'd give it a go too. Sorry guys please forgive me.**

**Chapter 2**

Ainz sighed heavily. This is not what he had expected for today. He had hoped he could go back to his room in E-Rantel and just lounge around for week. The whole ordeal with the Holy Kingdom had been too stressful and had left him with a headache. His mental fatigue was at it's maximum, any more and he'd lose the ability to function.

"This is all too much"

As always, Ainz failed to keep his mouth shut. He always spoke quietly when his words would slip out but it seemed like anyone and everyone could always hear what he said, no matter how quietly it was muttered.

"You really do emit the air of a king"

Ainz looked him dead in the eye. He wanted to know if the intruder from across the desk was mocking him. He was either brave or extremely foolish. He may have put on a good show against his guardians in the throne room, but no one man could take the entire might of Nazarick. At his side, the rage seeping out of Albedo was palpable. If she could jump from Ainz' side and kill the man, she would. He could not blame her for this, if not for his emotions being forcibly suppressed he may have been in a similar state. For all he knew, this could be the player that brainwashed Shalltear. If it turned out that it was him, Ainz would make him regret the day he took breath in this world.

"Intruder, know that I hold the power of life and death in my hands. If I so wished it, the entire force of Nazarick would attack you at once. Do you believe you could withstand such an onslaught?"

He laughed.

The heat emanating from Albedo went up a couple degrees. Ainz could not dare to even look at her; he was scared something would happen to him if he did.

"No. Of course I couldn't. I'm confident in my abilities but I'm not so strong as to defy logic."

"I'm glad that you understand your situation. Now! We shall begin by asking you a variety of questions, know that if you lie we will kill you."

He laughed again. If Ainz had eyes they would be twitching right now. The suppression had not kicked in yet so he still felt the piercing annoyance caused by that laughter. He couldn't let it affect him though, how could he show Albedo such a display?

"First, tell me your name"

"Fine, Hik-"

He stumbled and stopped. *Does he not know his own name? But that doesn't make sense, he knows mine.* Ainz felt a mixture of confusion and anger. Was this man really going to try and lie to him? Stumbling over words was something he had a lot of personal experience in, but this was beyond ridiculous. If this man was trying to hide the truth, then it would be better to have him tortured. He had no reason to be merciful to him. Just as Ainz was about to tell Albedo of this, the man finally spoke.

"Hiroto. My name is Hiroto, the Dragonoid Battle Mage."

"Ridiculous. You're too... Underwhelming. Most of my Guardians believed you to be human. Hiroto was one of the best players in Yggdrasil. Do you have proof?"

The intruder pulled the spear that he had equipped earlier out of his inventory. Now that he looked at it closely, he was sure he was who he said he was. You see, this was the Caloric spear. It had been buffed with the powers of a World Item that Ainz Ooal Gown once had; the Caloric Stone. There was no one who did not know of this weapon, it had won him a world championship in the past.

"So you are Hiroto. I had heard a lot about you in Yggdrasil. Nicknamed 'the Cheating Mercenary.' "

"Please don't call me that."

This was the first time Ainz had seen even a glimmer of seriousness on this man's face. This whole time he'd been relaxing and joking as if he was catching up with an old friend. Knowing that he was making some progress pleased him. Now he could start asking the serious questions.

"How are you so strong?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You were able to beat one of my floor guardians with ease, I wish to know how that was possible. Answer quickly as to not displease me."

"You mean the vampire?"

"Yes he means the vampire!"

Albedo simply could not restrain herself much more. This filthy human dared to mock her master, to question her beloved, and to invade their home. Every second that passed dragged on too long. She simply needed the answers to the questions so that she could proceed with making him suffer. The rest did not matter.

"Albedo calm yourself."

"But my Lord?! ... As you say Lord"

"That was awkward.."

"Just answer the damn question already!"

Ainz was also reaching his last straw. Just when he thought that this questioning was going somewhere, he returned to his usual jokey attitude. It was driving him beyond crazy.

"Okay... Basically my ancestors evaluated her and gave me a summary of her abilities and items. But there was more to it than that. My reaction speed, maneuverability and efficiency were all at a level beyond what I was used to. I had no time to think, it was like I was fighting from instinct, muscle memory. In the moment, I knew how to win and I executed a strategy. It also helped that she was kind of dumb. Her stats and equipment were good, but she had no tactics. Her moves were impulsive and easily predicted so I spent the most part dodging and counterattacking. I kept attacking from range with my bow so her melee attacks were ineffective and the little damage I took was from her long range magic. Her instant resurection item caught me off guard though, I don't know if I could have beaten her."

Ainz was dumbfounded. Everything he had just said was utterly ridiculous. The things he said were not wrong, but it didn't explain the outcome of the battle at all. Such a basic tactic shouldn't have beaten Shalltear when he had no knowledge of her skills. He had no idea who these ancestors were but he understood what he meant about instincts and muscle memory. Ainz had felt a similar phenomenon when he arrived. Ainz wanted a way to get more powerful but he already had access to all the things he just mentioned; It had still barely gained him the victory against Shalltear in their duel. Yet this man beat her with relative ease.

"Are you lying to me right now?"

"No, I promise."

"Then how were you able pull that stunt in the throne room?"

"To be honest, I was just delaying my inevitable defeat. My ancestors told be there was no way to defeat everyone in the room and that I was definitely going to die."

"So... Who are these ancestors you keep mentioning?"

"Well, I don't know exactly. But they were part of the flavour text for one of my racial classes. The class was more for roleplaying than anything else. It provided a slight boost to my stats and a buff to the appraisal skill. Also 75% of my magic affects the 'astral plane' but that was just a gimmick for more critical hit damage. it seems real here though."

Everything this man said was nonsense. Either he was adept at lying or he was a madman. At least that's what Ainz wanted to think. But there was a type of logic to what Hiroto was saying and it tallied with what Ainz had learnt in this new world. As well as this, it was clear to see that this man was not lying. His demeanour and attitude didn't show any sense of it. Of course he could just be a good actor, but Ainz believed that to be unlikely. He had revealed too much.

"I have one last question."

This was the big one. This was the sure fire way to determine how to move forward.

"Okay, hit me with it."

"When did you arrive here?"

"Well the game just ended, I closed my eyes and then I opened them here, outside your tomb. So today."

Ainz didn't know whether this was a good or bad thing. On the one hand, it meant that he was definitely not the one who used a world item on Shalltear, plus it meant that he was not deliberately trying to attack Nazarick. But on the other hand, it meant that he was at the same level as he was when he was in Yggdrasil. Ainz had hoped that maybe he had managed to find a way to level up in this world. It also annoyed him that Hiroto had infiltrated Nazarick so easily. There level of caution would definitely have to be increased.

That left one thing to be resolved. How would they deal with Hiroto. Could he have him join the ranks of Nazarick? Or should they still administer a form of punishment. Ainz was hoping he could ask Albedo, but from the hot, thick air of rage that still surrounded her, he knew there was no point.

A small silence made its way into the room. What else was there to say? Neither one had the courage to outright ask the other for help so that meant nothing more could be added to this discussion.

"Okay I'll say it!" The sudden burst of energy from this man Hiroto made Ainz' non-existent heart bounce around like a hare in the fields.

"Let me join your ranks, I want to be a part of whatever this is. I used to run a business back in the real world so I can help you with that. Plus I'm strong so... I promise I wont let you down."

Albedo's reaction was- let's be honest, you get the gist. No matter what this man said, she would dislike it. Dislike was modest. Ainz made a conscious effort to ignore her. As far as he was concerned, he needed another human being to give him some peace of mind. A second opinion would make reaching decisions easier. Ainz was tired of the constant pressure.

"In your current state, do you habour any love for humans."

"When I think about it... No. No, I do not."

"Good. That answer is acceptable. Albedo, please go and round up the guardians again. You must also exit, Eight Edge assassins and Ninth"

"But my Lord! Is it really right to leave you alone with him?!"

"Of course. Do you really believe I would lose to him?"

"NO! Please Lord Ainz, I could never think such a thing!"

"Good, then please leave us."

Ainz made sure that the door had firmly closed behind her before he continued.

"I just have one final question for you. Earlier, you hesitated when speaking your name. Why is that?

"It's just.. I almost told you my real name. If this is new world, then it's better to forget the past world and focus on the future."

What Hiroto had just said was perfectly reasonable, however Ainz noticed the strained look on his face. It was almost as though it was tough for him to say such a thing. Maybe he wanted to return or maybe he had some friends and family he missed. Ainz could not know. So he decided to leave it.

"Right... So, there's a few things I need to tell you about the guardians. If you want them to accept you as a servant of Nazarick then this is of crucial importance..."

**Throne Room**

"My guardians, I have come to a decision"

Each guardian readied themselves for the answer. As soon as Ainz passed the death sentence, they would be ready to sacrifice themselves in order to kill him. Albedo was shaking uncontrollably. She wanted him dead more than everyone else combined. But she knew he wasn't going to die.

"I have decided to bring him into our ranks as a new member. He has sworn subservience to me! He shall be granted a new position. Champion of Nazarick! His prowess in battle makes him the strongest being present so it suits him perfectly. You will treat him respectfully as a fellow worker! Once you have made your introductions, I would like Albedo, Demiurge and Hiroto to come into my office. That is all."

None of the guardians knew how to react. This man had come from no where it seems, and taken a position greater to them. They should have felt anger, even a slight irritation, and yet they didn't. They were in awe. In awe that their master had subdued such a powerful enemy. He had managed to get this man to swear himself to Nazarick. If that wasn't applaudable then what was.

Hikaru felt it was time to introduce himself.

"Hello, I'm Hiroto and I'm pleased to be working alongside you in service to Ainz Ooal Gown."

He bowed before them. None of them knew how to react. Their awe was directed at their incredible master, not at this human who had infiltrated their home. How dare he stand there and act as their equal. The anger that was not present earlier started to creep in. They knew they couldn't betray the wishes of their master, but giving respect to this human was going to be a struggle.

"I'm not a human"

The NPC's were shocked. This outsider had somehow read their thoughts. A tense silence grew in the room. The fact that Hiroto could do such a thing caused them to distrust him even more. They could not deny he was strong. And now they had to be somewhat wary of his intellect as well. It was almost as if they were being mocked. The atmosphere in the room grew to such an extreme that no one had the ability move.

Then Hiroto did something that blew away the tension. He laughed. A gentle, genuine laugh. It threw everyone off guard. This wasn't like the cocky grin or smirk they had seen on his face earlier, this was a real smile. Why was he so amused by this tense situation?

"You're exactly how Lord Ainz described you to be. He's happy that you're not trusting of me straight away, it shows that you're learning caution from him."

"But how can we know if you're truly worthy of Nazarick~?"

That was Lupisregina. She had not wished to speak out of turn but it had just slipped out.

"You cannot know. But give me a chance to prove myself. Lord Ainz himself has given me a chance, why would I betray the mercy of such a majestic ruler! If I ever do something that endangers Nazarick, please take my life as compensation! I would happily give my life in service to our Master!"

Hiroto was putting on a grand performance, great gestures followed his extreme words to add even more flavour. Although there was truth to everything he said, there was no one here foolish enough to believe that this wasn't a performance. The problem was, his words had touched their hearts. If Ainz could show mercy to this man, why couldn't they? Who were they to object the actions of the supreme one? One by one, they started to greet him.

"My name is Demiurge, Guardian of the seventh floor. If possible I would like to test you prowess for tactics and strategy. Perhaps by way of a game of chess?"

"Hi I'm Aura, joint guardian of the sixth floor"

"Urm.. A-and I'm M-Mare"

".COCYTUS. GUARDIAN. OF. THE. FIFTH. FLOOR."

And so on. The only one who had not accepted him wholeheartedly was Albedo, but the rest of the guardians knew that it was baby steps when it came to her. Hiroto knew that a lot of time would have to be spent proving himself to these NPC's but he did not mind it. In fact, he relished the challenge.

**Later**

Demiurge, Albedo and Hiroto made their way to Lord Ainz' office. Neither if the three spoke at all as they approached the door. Ainz was expecting them, so the door was wide open for them to enter.

"Hello my guardians and Hiroto, we have much to discuss."

Hiroto and the others bowed, "Yes my Lord!"

Ainz understood why he had said this course of action was more reasonable, but that didn't mean he accepted it. Ainz had wanted Hiroto to lead together with him, to give him advise on how best to run his empire. He knew that he could never replace his friends of Ainz Ooal Gown, but he could definitely come close to it. Ainz was undead, he could live forever in this world if he wanted to. If Hiroto stayed with him that whole time then there was no reason to think that they couldn't be as close as blood relatives. For some reason though, he had sternly refused with his reason being that 'the guardians would never accept that' or something.

"So, Hiroto will now be working alongside you in deciding the direction in which Nazarick will follow. It seems he has a keen mind for strategy and politics so having him join our ranks can only increase our strength. Am I right?"

"Yes of course Lord Ainz, I will try my best to work along side him. Although I was hoping to validate his intellect myself. As soon as an opportunity arises, I would like to do so."

Hiroto had the inclination that the guardians would not trust him easily and as such was ready for such a development. He knew that if he kept on proving his worth and his loyalty to Ainz, they would all come to accept him as a comrade. It had taken much discussion with Ainz about the details of their personalities for a solid plan to be made. That was why he was sure of the fact that Demiurge would ask him to play chess. But this was all besides the point.

"Umu. Demiurge, I want to start by having you relay our past to current efforts in taking over the world. In compete detail"

"Certainly Lord Ainz."

It took Demiurge almost 40 minutes to explain all of the different plans that he had concocted, along with the occasional moments where he would heap praise on his master. Ainz was sat there with his mouth agape. How didn't even know about half the things Demiurge had said, and he couldn't begin to understand 25% more. So in the end he was only vaguely aware of about a quarter of the plans. He wondered if Hiroto was keeping up, but from the looks of it, he had a complete understanding of everything that was said. Great. Now he had to compete with another genius. Or maybe it was a good thing, he'd have Hiroto explain later.

"That is all my Lord."

"Err..! Yeah! Umu. Thank you Demiurge. So, what do you think Hiroto?"

"Yeah, the plans that you have made are great. Almost perfect in fact, however there are still a few problems that need to be addressed."

Albedo's eyes expanded ridiculously. Seemed that her hatred for this man had not yet subsided. If she was not in the presence of her beloved one, she may not have been able to contain her anger.

"Uwah?! Is that really true my Lord?" Demiurge said.

"Err.. Umm.. yes...?" Ainz really wasn't sure of anything right now but he obviously couldn't let them know that. In the corner of his eye, he could see Hiroto smirking. *Why are you laughing at me! I aren't smart okay?!*

"Hiroto, please explain your meaning for these two to understand."

"Yes well there's an infinitesimal chance that theses plans can be unravelled. All it would take is for someone to see a guardian who had been involved in some other plan."

"Hmm.."

Ainz acted like he understood but he was so very lost. This whole time he thought it was best if he left all the thinking to Demiurge and Albedo. This was the first time that he'd been around to listen to the actual plans.

"For example, you said that the people who brainwashed Shalltear were still at large. What if they saw Shalltear with you? Or a better example, what if people saw Demiurge with you Lord Ainz? People who had seen Jaldabaoth? They would start to ask questions."

Demiurge already knew all of this and had incorporated it into his plans. Of course he could not predict the actions of a fool but would that really be a problem?

"Yes but the humans here are weak and easily predicted" Demiurge said.

"Of course" Hiroto continued, "but once the questions start being asked, there's no way to stop it. We may be able to stop any actions they take. Even if there is a complete revolt, we can quench it. However we will be the ones who will be seen in a detestable light. Right Lord Ainz?"

"E-Exactly so."

"You're right. I'm sorry for not thinking about such a thing sooner Lord Ainz."

Demiurge bowed. The look on his face was one that could not be described in words. Too many emotions were swirling around for one to truly see what was going on in his mind but it was clear as day that he was distraught. Ainz felt guilty but he knew it was important to put Nazarick's safety as top priority.

"Well done Hiroto for discerning the problem. Me and my friends always said three heads are better than one so demiurge please don't be discouraged."

"Yes my Lord!"

"So Hiroto. Now that you have found the problem, I wish for you to offer a solution."

"Yes okay. So all the loopholes can be solved with one thing, a back story."

"Genius!"

Demiurge was shocked. He would have never of thought of this. The idea of feeding the humans these lies was great. How could anyone ask questions about something that already has an answer? Although he did not think this man was his superior, he was definitely a rival in terms of intellect. With the two of them together, they could better predict the wishes of their master. That limitless gap between him and his master didn't look as limitless now.

"Of course, Lord Ainz has been thinking this for a while."

"Err what? I mean yes Hiroto, you have discerned my plans perfectly."

Hiroto had a warm smile on his face. When Ainz had told him that this is what the guardians did, he had to try it out for himself. In any case, this was beneficial for them both.

"So, what should this back story contain?" Demiurge said.

"Well we should go with the idea that Lord Ainz used to be human being."

"WHAT!"

To this point, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Albedo was going to get angry no matter what Hiroto said. That didn't mean that her sudden outburst hadn't shock them. Ainz fake, non-existent heart was paining him at the sight of one of his beloved NPC's in such a state. Demiurge and Hiroto didn't seem to care however and decided to continue talking. Albedo was filled with embarrassment. As far as she could tell, even her beloved did not see things her way. She was drowning in her a sea of self pity. Today was meant to be a great day for her, a day when she'd be able to see her love again. Instead it was plagued with presence of this new man. But if it was what the supreme one wished for, she had no choice but to oblige. She decoded to listen more intensely.

To her surprise, the plan was very good, with few demerits. It seemed simplistic at first but the longer she listened, the more sense it made.

The story went as follows: Ainz was a human born thousands of years ago. But when Ainz was young, his family were all killed by a demon. As Ainz grew older, he had a firm conviction that he needed to gain more power, that way he would be able to protect those he loved. His journey took him all over the World, in search for knowledge. Along the way, he met many people who decided to join him on his quest, the people he would call his friends. Together with his friends, he subjugated and controlled many creatures and monsters. Demons, Dragons and all sorts. He lived a long life and then found the peak he was searching for his whole life. His friends had all died before him, he was the last one left. But as he was about to pass away, he decided that he could not leave the monsters he had taken. They had become like his children. So Ainz cast a one time spell that would transform him into an immortal being, the greatest form of Undead. An Overlord. The Spell took millennia to complete and that is why he has only just appeared in the new world.

Albedo's interest reached it's peak when Hiroto had suggested that Ainz and Albedo be wed in the story. Ainz initially refused, but after much convincing, he accepted the idea. Albedo knew that it was fake, that this whole thing was a charade, but she could not hide the glee she felt. Even thinking of it sent a chill down her spine and made her breathing heavy. What a glorious sight.

"Maybe this plan isn't too bad," She said.

Demiurge and Hiroto found those words amusing. This whole time, she had been so opposed to anything and everything that Hiroto suggested, but now that she would be married to her love, it was all thrown out of the window. Ainz himself decided to ignore Albedo completely. The last time that she breathed heavily like that led to an experience he'd never forget. She had pounced on him like a lion and fought off anyone who had tried to save him. He did not wish to redo the experience.

With Albedo's new found enthusiasm, she decided to help Hiroto and Demiurge with the fine tuning of the plan. With her help, they were able to create detailed backstories for each NPC in Nazarick. Ainz just sat there of course, there was no need for him to intervene with the three geniuses in front of him. In practically no time, **30 minutes**, they were able to complete the task.

"Lord Ainz, I would like to make a personal request."

Hiroto spoke to Ainz. This was the first time someone had actually spoken to him in ages. They were so busy concocting their plans that they had forgotten about their 'supreme one.' Ainz was relieved. He had been sat there watching for too long. If he did not already feel inferior, he did now.

"What is it Hiroto"

"I humbly ask permission to resurrect the Holy Queen and Kelart Custudio"

Ainz and Demiurge were both quite confused. How could they not be? This had come straight out of the blue. Demiurge felt as though he and Hiroto were starting to get along, but this felt like Hiroto was trying to undermine him. He needed to know why.

"Why? Have you seen a problem with my plans for the holy kingdom?"

"No. I just want to carry out a mission on my own. From what Demiurge has told me, in terms of humanity, those two are in the upper echelon. I simply wish to see the limits of their power. I would also like access to the adamantite squads like blue rose and red drop to experiment further."

What he said made sense. He wanted to know how strong humanity could grow. By finding out their limit, they could keep them weak enough to never revolt. However bring back the holy queen and Kelart would hinder Demiurge's plans.

"I know what you're thinking. Having them resurrected will hinder Demiurge's plans right Lord Ainz?"

"Right. That is what I was thinking Hiroto."

"Well, we will have her step down from her position as Holy Queen. She will use the reason that she is going to pursue more strength so she can protect her country. That way dopper-caspond can continue to rule in the Holy Kingdom."

"Hmmm.. That does make sense. But how are you going to convince her to do what you suggested. If she decides not to then it will be a waste of Nazarick resources."

"It's okay, I can be quite persuasive. Or I can use charm magic, whichever comes first. Plus, I own my own wand of resurrection so no Nazarick resources will have to be wasted. And finally I can pretend to be human who works for you. All the good I do will only increase your reputation."

"Are you sure you aren't doing this out of love for the humans?"

"Yes, I am sure."

"It's a good plan but risky. Well since you've worked hard today, I'll allow it."

"Thank you. And I love risks, my Lord."

"You love them huh? I knew someone from Nine's Own Goal who used to say that."

The strained look that Ainz saw earlier returned to Hiroto's face. As he bowed and walked out of his office with the two guardians, Ainz couldn't help but feel as though he already had a deep connection with him. His voice, his actions, they were all so _familiar_ to him. But since he couldn't remember, he decided to forget about it.

That was a mistake.

**Another chapter done.****I'm gonna keep grinding these things out because I'm having way too much fun writing them.**

**Reviews are welcome but I haven't figured out how to reply to them yet loool.**

**Thanks for the reviews I got last time. Wasnt huge but I wasnt expecting any at all so I really appreciated them. Also thanks for the follows and favourites as well, genuinely boosted my confidence when I got one hahaha**

**BTW, I'm bringing back Calca and Kelart just because I think they're great characters who can bring a lot to the kind of story I want to write.**

**The next chapter should be out in like a week guys. See you soon.**


	4. Chapter 3- E-Rantel part 1

**Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take so long. I mean I said a week and that turned into like a month or something so my bad. I've been busy with Work and College but my biggest problem was that I wasn't happy with what I was writing. Like I felt like I wasn't doing the source material justice. Had to re-read the parts of the light novels (I read the whole of Volume 10 btw) so I could get it right. I kept rewriting entire segments but I think I'm happy now. Hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 3 - E-Rantel part 1.**

"Hiroto"

"Hiroto"

"Hiroto!"

"What!!"

Hiroto had been forcibly awoken from his slumber. Why would someone do that? Didn't they know that Dragons valued their beauty sleep? He hoped that it was his mind playing tricks on him as he began to close his eyes once more.

SMACK.

He was slapped full force across the face. There was no way that impact was forged by his mind. That was a real slap from extremely bony hands.

"What are you doing?!"

Ainz skeletal visage was suddenly above him. Hiroto was somewhat tempted to slap him back, to repay his debt as it were.

"Look, no time to explain, we have to go right now!"

"Really? Right now?"

"Yes. Right now!"

"Can I at least put a shirt on?"

"No need. You know you won't feel the cold anyway."

"I mean I gue-"

[Gate].

Hiroto didn't even get the opportunity to blink as he was forcibly dragged through the gate and outside Nazarick. Ainz was relatively level-headed, and in the moments when he wasn't his emotions forcibly suppressed anyway. At least, that's what he'd told Hiroto. So everything about this situation was ridiculous; What had him so worked up?

"Look Ainz, you need to tell me what's going on."

"Shut up and look."

Hiroto was anxious, what could be so serious to warrant such action? Was it enemies? Was Nazarick under attack? But when he turned his head, it hit him.

True beauty.

After the blackness of the night, Earth's star rose on the horizon, spreading her gold in every direction. She came in the way that all natural forces do, having no invitation yet being welcome all the same. The light was her gift, bold and free, for anyone who cared to open their eyes in the dawn and watch the world awake. The sky was all the colours he'd been yearning for, as if the sky had caught fire and became something new. This was his sun, a blazing inferno, ignited to bring warmth to creation and inspire him to seek his beauty within. He had come from a black world, a world shrouded in eternal darkness. And yet the sun had rose for him, to bring a new light for his new life. As he gazed over it, he realised that he now knew. At last he understood what it meant to find true peace. A tear escaped his eye, followed by a large smile that seemed to possess all the joy in the world. Ainz sat beside him, silent. No words could describe this moment, words only detracted from it.

"... Thank you."

It was genuine. One borne straight from the flames in his heart. The flames that had just been set ablaze by the sun.

"Umu."

Together they sat there, in silence. No game, no VR, no technology could replicate what they were seeing. The true form of nature, something they had been robbed of in their reality.

"Do you ever want to go back?"

Hiroto finally cut through the silence. But it didn't distract them from the sight, eyes still firmly fixed on the horizon.

"I have nothing there. No parents. I had a friend once- but everything I knew was in Yggdrasil."

"I don't want to go back either... Let's explore every region of this unknown world. Together."

"Of course."

**2 weeks later.**

2 full weeks had passed since their moment underneath the sun. Since then, Ainz hadn't seen much of Hiroto. He was busy forming plans with Demiurge and Albedo, as well as getting to know the various NPC's of Nazarick. None of them had taken to him in a heartbeat, each NPC showing a hint of cautiousness in their conversations. Ainz had apologized repeatedly for their behaviour but Hiroto had instead praised them for it. He said that 'their cautious nature would be important in the future' and that the fact no one had outright objected to his presence showed their 'intense loyalty' or something like that. Within these few weeks, Hiroto had managed to sway a few of the guardians to his side. He was extremely charismatic, as if it was second nature. In no time he found himself in the business of tutoring Shalltear in PvP combat, increasing her ability to create in-fight tactics. Ainz had previously tried to teach her himself but without strong opponents to challenge, it was hard for her to grow. Hiroto had fixed that. Not only did he spar with and train Shalltear, he had also spent some time sparing with Cocytus to the point where the guardian outright accepted him as an 'honourable warrior.' Hiroto and Sebas were both Dragonoid so they shared some kind of 'connection' as he put it. Ainz wasn't sure what he was talking about, so it was definitely in need of further investigation.

He had even managed to gain the favour of Demiurge. The two had faced each other in a game of chess a few times, and although Demiurge had won, he had seen that he was worthy opponent. In terms of pure intellect, Demiurge surpassed Hiroto. However Hiroto's knowledge of even the acute factors the Yggdrasil world, plus his intense understanding of political warfare, were enough to bring him onto equal footing. In terms of Yggdrasil knowledge, Ainz also far surpassed Demiurge. If Hiroto had only displayed this ability, Demiurge most likely would not have seen him as any sort of an equal. But the political knowledge had given him that edge. He had told Ainz that politics was a big part of his job in the real world and that's why he was adept at it. Ainz of course had no reason to deny it, he was a simple 9-5 office drone but he knew a genius when he saw one.

That's why he feeling this way again. The cold isolation of being out of the loop.

"Huhhhhhh~"

A long and hard sigh escaped Ainz non-existent lips as he rested his forehead on the desk. He knew that everything Hiroto was doing was of upmost importance, and so he wasn't upset about that. Rather, it was because Hiroto was exceptional. A great warrior but also ridiculously smart? If there was anything that could diminish Ainz' confidence, it was that among all these elite characters he was exceptional at being normal.

"You feeling sorry for yourself again?"

There in front of him stood Hiroto. Ainz had suffered much in this world under the 'loving' watch of his guardians and he had believed that this man to be his salvation. Wrong! This man only added fuel to the fire.

_"Please, what can I do to help you my Lord!"_ Hiroto spoke those words in the most sarcastic way possible.

"Shut up. I hate you."

Jokes like that would have been impossible to say to the Guardians. They would have taken it literally, even offering their life for their "unworthiness."

However Hiroto laughed warmly in response. This man sure was happy a lot. He never seemed to be upset about anything that went on here. The only time a hint of seriousness would arise is when he spoke about the real world. It seemed as though he hated everything about it. It hadn't crossed Ainz' mind to ask him about it, best not to cause any problems this early right?

"So, what do we have planned today _your majesty?"_ Hiroto excessively bowed as he spoke.

Ainz wanted to groan. This man caused nothing but headaches.

"We have to get you registered with the Adventurers Guild and then the ceremony you planned is this evening."

"Right. We went to the liberty of inviting the royalty of Re-Estize to attend the ceremony. Princess Renner and Prince Zanac have both been sent. Demiurge had the princess acquire the services of Blue Rose as extra Body Guards. The king gave some long and ridiculous excuse as to why he couldn't attend so he isn't coming."

"Okay. I guess the pressure I had on me wasn't enough. Now I have to act in front of commoners, NPC's and Royalty."

"But this is important, it'll change how the world views you."

"Yeah okay, whatever you say Hiroto. Are we setting off now?"

"Sure why not."

"Urm L-Lord Ainz?"

"What is it Twelfth"

"Do you wish for your servant to accompany you?"

Ainz looked at Hiroto as if he should have the answer. Instead he simply shrugged his shoulders like a fool. Was he ever going to help him? Meanwhile Twelfth was eagerly awaiting a reply from Ainz and he knew he had to just go with the flow.

"... Umu."

"While we're at, might as well have him wear something else don't you think twelfth? If he were to wear the same garments everyday, the people would look down on him."

Hiroto was having way too much fun.

"Yes of course, you're right Hiroto- Sir! We should hurry and prepare worthy attire!"

**30 minutes Later.**

Twelfth had said they should 'hurry' but in the end it had taken 30 minutes for Ainz' clothing to be finished. He wore a dark blue robe with long white sleeves. He wore a black belt around his waist and a 3 large diamond necklace to finish it off. Simple but effective. He looked like some sort of experienced martial artist.

"Okay... Is it done yet?" Ainz said.

He had never been one who spent much effort on his physical appearance. It was yet another thing he was forced to do once he came to this world. He waited for Twelfth to nod before he put down his arms. He couldn't deny it though, he definitely looked good. But he was glad it was over, now he and Hiroto could go and see the city as they had planned.

Ainz summoned a set of angels to follow them and guard them. He had noticed that last time the people took much more kindly to him when the Angels were around. Plus, Ainz had enjoyed the shocked faces that the people from the temple had shown. To them, it was impossible for Angels to protect an Undead. And yet here he was. Proving idiots wrong. It was one of the few things that made Ainz feel better about himself.

The two players walked side by side around E-Rantel. All the while Ainz was showing Hiroto different points of interest. As they talked and travelled, the atmosphere around them had the feel of two lifelong friends. Ainz didn't even behave this way with the guardians, and yet he felt a deep connection with this man already.

"So why did people call you the 'Cheating Mercenary' in Yggdrasil?"

"Well, I spent more money than anyone else on the game. It gave me an unfair advantage. Most players had to struggle to get even one set of divine gear... Yet I own 12 sets. Not to mention the 7 pieces of World Champion items I've got."

Ainz was stunned. He too only had one set of divine class gear. It had taken his entire bonus just to get one item in the lottery. Seriously, how much money did this man possess?

"You've got to be joking.. Right?"

"No I'm being serious. I didn't just buy in-game either. I used to pay players in real life to get access to certain assets and knowledge"

That was beyond ridiculous. With access to that kind of money, no wonder Hiroto had won so many world championships. It gave him an unfair advantage against the majority of the players in the game.

"How come you never decided to join a guild?"

"I was a 'mercenary' remember. I would temporarily join guilds and participate in quests and raids for payment. It was a small loophole in the game that allowed me gain most of the benefits of being in a guild or clan. My reputation was pretty good so even the human players sucked it up and asked for my help from time to time."

"I guess that makes sense. You could of joined Ainz Ooal Gown you know, you'd have fit in perfectly."

A strained look made its way onto Hiroto's face. Unlike Ainz, he couldn't simply hide his emotions. Ainz didn't know why, but every time he mentioned the guild or the real world he'd show that face. There was no point dwelling on the point however. Best thing to do was to look toward the future.

"We're here. Twelfth and Angels, stay here."

They stood before the Shining Gold Pavilion, the most luxurious inn in all of E-Rantel. Also known as the home of the hero Momon. Or rather this is where Pandora's Actor was residing. They would need his presence to get Hiroto an Adamantite plate. As they were about to knock on the door, Ainz stopped Hiroto.

"Umm.. Just so you know, Pandora's Actor is a bit, how should I say.. Extravagant. So keep that in mind okay?"

"Yeah okay..? Why are you stressing this, it can't be that bad?"

"Uwah.. No reason"

Ainz resigned himself to his fate. Hiroto loved to mock him, and this would be infinite ammunition for the rest of their existence.

"**Mein Vater, Mein Schöpfer, Mein Meister ewig**! I had not expected to see you again so soon!"

Ainz face palmed. Hard.

Pandora's Actor threw his arms into the air as he said that. Every one of his actions was so extreme that Ainz had no choice but to face palm. He felt a deep pain in his chest. No matter how many times he counselled him, he never changed. He slowly looked at Hiroto to see what his expression would be. The initial expression was shock, but it slowly changed form, into a smirk.

Oh no. I'm never going to be able to live this down.*

"Your MAJESTY," Pandora's actor took another dramatic pose and then paused for maximum effect, "What can I do for you today." He lowered his voice as he bowed. It was ridiculous. The stunned look on Hiroto's face said it all, this was beyond torture.

"Urgh.. Sorry, Yes.. Err. Yes, we're here for 2 reasons. First is to introduce you to Nazarick's latest 'employee,' Hiroto. Then after introductions are over, we will require Momon to carry out our plans regarding the adventurers guild."

Ainz had barely been able to speak those words. The embarrassment he felt was beyond anything. If he could avoid Pandora's actor, he would. But his abilities were far too important.

"I see. Hello there. It is A PLEASURE... To be working with you."

"Oh god~" Ainz was seriously struggling to keep his emotions in check. Even the inhibitor had abandoned him. It didn't think that the intense embarrassment he was feeling was worth being supressed.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Hiroto."

The two shook hands. Ainz was wondering how Hiroto was keeping from bursting out laughing. But when he looked at him, it seemed as though he was quite fond of his creation. Ainz dismissed this idea. It must have been his mind playing tricks on him. He instead prepared himself for the mockery to come later.

After they had explained their plans to Pandora's Actor, they left the hotel. They said they'd wait for him at the Guild building. As soon as they got outside Ainz began squirming. Hiroto's face was home to a sadistic smile as he turned toward him. Ainz was prepared for the psychological beating he was about to get...

"I think he was cool."

"... Huh?"

"Yeah he was cool, I don't know why you're so embarrassed. He has an endearing personality."

"... Huh?"

Ainz was beyond confused. Pandora's Actor was lame, why on earth would he find him 'endearing.' Before he could fully come to terms with it, Hiroto had began walking away.

"Why you still stood there Ainz. Let's go."

".. Ye- Umu."

Ainz had no reason to dwell on this. Future Ainz could deal with it.

**Guild building**.

Pandora's actor, or rather Momon, along with Nabe teleported to just behind the guild building. He had just been given a mission by his glorious leader Ainz Ooal Gown, and there was no time to waste. He had to get the Guild master to accept a new member into Darkness, and instantly give him an Adamantite plate.

Easy.

Pandora's actor quite enjoyed playing the role of Momon. It allowed him to be dramatic and stoic at the same time and he loved it. As he opened the doors of the guild building, he saw a group of 5 stood at the counter. 3 members of Blue Rose, Lady Lakyus, as well as Evileye and Gagaran. And then 2 people he had never met before. He still knew of them though due to the information gathered by Sebas, they were Climb and Brain Ungluas.

"Lord Momon!"

Evileye leapt toward him at an abnormal speed and gripped him around the neck. For a second, Momon thought he was being attacked and almost countered. But from what he could see, this wasn't a hostile attack so he allowed it. For such a powerful mage, she sure was small in structure. Was it possible that she was but a mere child?

"Lord Momon? Lakyus, is it possible that he is under some kind of spell?"

Nabe quickly jumped in front Momon, Sword in hand and ready to protect. **Chop**. Momon smacked Nabe hard in the middle of her head.

"Don't over react to the smallest of things."

"Greetings members of Blue Rose, as well as Climb and Brain. A pleasure to meet you today."

"Lakyus?"

"It doesn't seem like he's under any magic Evileye, but perhaps the level is too high for me to divine."

Momon let out a hearty laugh. It was unlike Momon to laugh, he was meant to be stoic and powerful, but Pandora's Actor thought it best to diffuse the situation right now before it spiralled out of control.

"Please Evileye, I am under no such spell. Do you really believe I could be bested by mere mind control magic?"

"I- I guess not.."

"But if you're not under a spell, why have you sworn yourself to Ainz Ooal Gown, you realize undead hate the living right?"

This time it was the warrior Gagaran that spoke up.

"Well, at first I thought it was the best way to protect the people of E-Rantel. However I have come to realise that he is truly a magnanimous and kind ruler. Have you not seen how his Undead work to improve the city?"

"To be honest.. You have a point."

"But how can we forget what he did to the Kingdom's Army and Gazef!"

That was Brain who spoke. He seemed to be unable to forgive Ainz. It was understandable, he lost a war and his best friend in a single day.

"I apologize Lord Ungluas, but that was in the middle of a war."

With the helmet on, no one here would be able to see the facial expressions on Momon's face. Instead, Pandora's Actor softened his voice to express a deep regret for the loss of Brain's friend. Of course the remorse was completely fake, but everyone present- except Nabe- fell for it. Playing Momon really allowed him to display the full array of his acting skills.

"I- I understand." Brain said.

"We'll have to see at tonight's ceremony if he really is as kind a ruler as you say."

That was Lady Lakyus. She was both a cleric and a priest, therefore her dislike for the Undead was much greater that the others. But at the same time she was reasonable and kind, that is why she gave Momon the benefit of the doubt in regards to his Majesty Ainz Ooal Gown.

"By the way Momon," Gagaran and her coarse male like voice cut through the temporary silence, "I've been wondering, who is stronger between you and the Sorcerer King?"

This was a difficult question to answer. He could say they were equal, but that would undercut his masters strength. But at the same time, saying he was weaker could lower the morale of the people.

"I do not know, but his Majesty's power is almost boundless. I was able to beat Jaldabaoth but I had Nabe and Evileye to watch the Demon Maids. Lord Ainz had no such help. In a one on one fight, I would have to be at my very best to stand a chance of attaining victory."

"Oh.." It seemed Evileye wasn't particularly happy with Momon's assessment.

The conversation was quite long after that. It was basically a back and forth where they asked Momon questions and he would answer. Many of the questions were pointless and unnecessary but Pandora's Actor had to keep up appearances. Therefore he answered each question to the best of his ability. That was until Brain dropped a bombshell on him.

"Do you know of a Vampire called Shalltear Bloodfallen?"

The question came from nowhere, completely blindsiding Pandora's Actor or rather Momon. How should he answer? He knew that Lord Ainz had mentioned Shalltear as a sister of 'Honyopenyoko' to the Guild master. However, if he was to use the same story here and Brain was to see her in E-Rantel at any point, their whole charade would fall apart. It was also possible that Brain had something to do with when Shalltear was brainwashed, in which case knowing the details would be imperative to the survival of Nazarick. He didn't know what to do, if only his master was here. He'd know what to do. In the meantime, maybe he should stall before giving an answer.

"Well-"

"How do you know of Shalltear Bloodfallen?"

Lord Ainz and Hiroto burst into the Guild building. Pandora's Actor almost leapt for joy. Now that his creator was here, they could capitalize on this situation. And without missing a beat, Lord Ainz was already asking Brain the important questions. However...

"Why are you here?!"

Brain shot out of his seat, and immediately became defensive. All the other humans present also jumped up as well. It could prove difficult to gain answers now. At least, it would be for Pandora's Actor. Contrastingly, he had the upmost faith that his master could still get the information he wanted.

"Please, be at ease. I do not wish to harm any of you. In fact, I recognize some of you. You two. You were present for my duel with the late Gazef Stronoff."

"That's right. It was a truly terrifying experience." Climb said.

"Exactly. That is why you can be forgiven for actions just now."

Brain and Climb apprehensively sat down again. One by one the others followed their lead. It was clear to see that none of them trusted the Undead King, but they couldn't possibly be rude to him in his own city.

"Now sir.."

"The name's Brain. Brain Ungluas."

"Okay sir Ungluas, how is it that you came to know of Shalltear Bloodfallen. And please, do not lie to me."

Brain looked deeply into the sockets where Ainz' eyes should have been. The last part of his request sounded like a threat. With a human, Brain could discern if they were being serious by looking into their eyes. But the Sorcerer King had no such eyes to look into. But he was undead. So the threat had to be serious.

"We fought once before the appearance of Honyopenyoko and then again in the capital during the attack of Jaldabaoth."

Both Lord Ainz and Nabe balled their first as they heard these words. The killing intent basically radiating from Nabe in particular.

"Is that so? And how did these fights end?"

"Both times I managed to run away from her."

Ainz loosened his clenched fist. If he ran away, then it's obvious he couldn't have had anything to do with Shalltear's mind control incident. And he was positive he wasn't lying, most humans wouldn't be brave enough to lie to his skeletal face. Of even the times they did was because of undying loyalty or desperation. Brain had neither.

"Hmm. Is that so-"

"The truth is, we subjugated Shalltear a while ago and she has now sworn loyalty to the supreme one."

"Uwah?!"

That was Hiroto, interrupting Ainz. At first thought, telling the humans this fake story could quite easily lead to trouble down the line, but telling them the truth would have greater consequences now. Granted, Hiroto Demiurge and Albedo had come up with these backstories together and let each of the guardians know so there shouldn't be any harm in telling these humans now. In fact, giving them answers now should prevent further questions from being asked. At least, that's what they were hoping.

"I see. So she's alive?" Brain asked. Why was he so interested anyway?

"She is. Why exactly do you care so much?"

"It's my wish to someday reach her, to gain even a sliver of strength brings me closer."

His eyes. Those were the eyes of a warrior. With a conviction strong as steel. It moved both Ainz and Hiroto.

"So you wish to get stronger?" Hiroto said.

"I do. As a human, I thought I had reached the pinnacle of strength when I faced Shalltear, and then I was utterly defeated..." Brain shuddered as he spoke those words, "But after meeting Climb, Gazef and Lord Sebas, my faith was renewed. And then I saw how Momon, a human, defeated Jaldabaoth. I realised greater strength was still possible. I was set once again on path to find more power."

The denizens of Nazarick had to admit, it was a rousing speech. Pandora's actor seemed the most moved by it, for obvious reasons. After he concluded, the others repeated the sentiment, it was clear to see that each of them coveted strength beyond what was in their reach.

"Fine." Hiroto said, "I will help each of you gain a strength beyond what you already possess. On one condition."

"Anything!" Brain exclaimed. It seemed that the possibility of new strength had lit a fire in his belly. He could barely contain his excitement.

"We shall battle. All of you, against me. If you manage to inflict even the tiniest bit of damage, you win."

"Don't you think you're being a bit too overconfident?" Evileye said. Until recently, she was widely accepted as one of the most powerful people in this region. That was until Momon, Nabe, Jaldabaoth and even the Sorcerer King had outshined her. She couldn't allow people to start looking down at her. She was a force to be reckoned with, and Hiroto couldn't just casually declare his dominance.

"I don't believe I am."

A smug grin found its way onto his face as he boldly proclaimed his. It annoyed Evileye to no end.

"Fine! We'll fight you." Evileye said as Gagaran held her back.

"Slight problem.." Climb who had been quiet for the most part, began to talk, "We don't have our weapons on hand."

"No problem, I'll have one of my Undead get them for you." Ainz stated. "In the meantime, me Momon and Hiroto must converse with the Guild master."

The three of them went upstairs together, where they came face to face with the Guild Master Ainzach.

"Good day Ainzach."

"Oh Master Ainz, how great to see you. And Lord Momon, always a pleasure. I'm afraid I don't know you in the middle."

"My name is Hiroto, I'm a warrior in service to his Majesty Lord Ainz."

"Uwah.. Yes! That's right. He is here to be inducted into Momon's Adventurer group, however we need you to approve of him gaining an Adamantite plate."

"Is he truly that strong Master Ainz?"

"Don't worry, we have the perfect way to prove it."

"In about 10 minutes, I'll be fighting against 3 members of Blue Rose, along with Brain Ungluas and the bodyguard of Third Princess Renner."

"Alone?!"

"Yes alone. That should be enough right?"

"Of course Lord-"

"Hiroto."

"Right."

Ainz spent the next 10 minutes writing up the paper work in preparation for Hiroto's inevitable victory, but it seemed Ainzach was not convinced he could pull of such a feat. The four of them eventually stepped foot outside, where they were greeted with the determined faces of Blue Rose, Brain and Climb. Each one refused to lose this fight.

"Okay, are you ready?" Hiroto proclaimed.

A resounding "Yes" was sent back in return.

Ancestors.*

_"Yes young master. Do you wish to know their Abilities?"_

Yes, but keep it brief. Also, if any of them possess what Ainz called a 'talent,' highlight it please.*

_"From right to left: Brain, possesses a talent for swordsmanship which doubles his xp gain. He is considered a genius swordsman, Approximately Level 30."_

_"Climb has no innate talent, clear to see he's using the wrong weapon, Guardian, Approximately Level 16."_

_"Gagaran, 'superior strength' talent, Knight and Air Rider, Approximately Level 28."_

_"Lakyus, 'Heroic Abilities' talent, Cleric and Warrior Priestess, Approximately Level 29."_

_"Evileye, Vampire Princess, Negative Energy Ability, Unknown Innate Ability, Arcane Magic Caster (Earth), Approximately Level 50."_

So they're all exceptionally weak... This might be unfair, it's impossible for them to damage me.*

Before Hiroto could make his thoughts known to everyone present, Ainz yelled "begin!" Evileye was the first one to react, quickly letting loose an Attack.

[Teleportation].

Evileye closed in on Hiroto in an instant and then activated her second spell.

[Shard Buck Shot].

It was too fast, there was no way anyone could avoid such an attack and from that range. The others looked on in anticipation as the dust cleared...

He was gone.

To Hiroto and Ainz, the move was slow but also far too predictable. In the instant Hiroto cast a Teleportation spell of his own and then a fly spell so that he could watch on from the sky.

"Heh. Foolish..."

[Teleportation].

Hiroto appeared behind Evileye in an instant. He placed his arm on her shoulder softly. A shadow formed over Evileye as she turned to see those electric blue eyes. Before she could even blink, a spinning kick landed full force into the center of her back and it sent her flying.

[Translocation Damage]!

Evileye crashed into the nearby home. She struggled to get up as she coughed out blood from that brutal attack. There was a limit to how much damage she could convert to mana loss, and it had been heavily surpassed. If she had not used her magic, that attack may have killed her.

"Hiroto! Take it easy, don't start destroying my city!"

Hiroto placed a hand at the back of his head as he released a hearty laugh. "Sorry, maybe I went a bit too far.."

"He's laughing..?" Gagaran faintly muttered, "After such a brutal attack, he's laughing?"

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh" Gagaran let out a large battle cry as she charged forward.

[Martial Art Ability Boost] [Martial Art Smash].

Hiroto simply span and avoided the rash attack. She charged again and again and again but each time he nimbly avoided the attack. A truly pathetic onslaught.

"Are you just going to keep avoiding me or are you going to fight back!"

"That vamp- Girl is far superior to you and yet look what happened to her when I attacked."

Gagaran angrily clicked her tongue. She didn't like it, but she couldn't argue with his logic.

"But if you want a fight... I'll give you one."

Hiroto charged forward at breakneck speed, at least by the human standards, and closed in on Gagaran.

[Marti-

[Martial Art Fortress]!

Climb came quickly to the rescue, taking the full force of that attack. Even with the Martial Art, it sent him skidding down the road.

"Are you okay Climb?"

"Yes Lady Gagaran."

"Why on earth would you do that! What if he had killed you?"

"Pfft. That was little more than a love tap, no way he could die." Hiroto exclaimed.

Even so, for a someone in the teen levels to block my blow... Was it the Martial Art? Or is his defensive stat unreasonably high?*

_"Answer: For a Level 16, his physical defence stats are unrealistically high. And then the Fortress Martial Art boosted this stat, but how much it was boosted still remains a mystery."_

"Hmm, I see..."

At this point, Hiroto had completely zoned out. He had even assumed the 'thinking' pose where one hand was placed under his chin and the other was crossed over his chest.

[Dark Blade Mega Impact]

"Shit!"

Hiroto had gotten complacent, therefore exposing himself to a quick attack. The attack was aimed at the middle of his chest, and there was no time for him to move left or right. Even crouching or jumping were out of the question. Instead he jumped back, out of it's range.

Unfortunately this was exactly what they wanted to happen, because now he was inside Brain's Field.

[Sand Field: One].

Hiroto's feet were now encased in sand which restricted his movement thus making it impossible to dodge.

[Martial Art: Ability Boost, Cutting Edge, Heavy Blow, Severing Blade] [Martial Art Nail Cutter]!

[Twin Maximize Penetrate Magic- Crystal Lance]!

Hiroto was trapped. He had three attacks all coming at him, each one equidistant from each other. He could easily get out if this bind, but that would mean putting in a little effort. He decided against it, after what happened to Evileye, he realised it wouldn't be fair to use more power than he already was. But that didn't mean he had lost..

All three attacks landed with devastating accuracy. But something felt off, none of them felt like they had won the battle. It was made painfully clear why. After the dust cleared, Hiroto still stood there, smile on his face. Undamaged. The two magic attacks, Crystal Lance and Dark Blade Mega Impact had been rendered null and void. Causing no damage whatsoever. And Brain's attack...

His sword was shattered, thousands of pieces were scattered all over the floor. Brain fell to his knees. He remembered this feeling, the feeling of dread. It was the same as when he fought Shalltear the first time. As he looked up towards Hiroto, he saw a sparkle in those lightning blue eyes.

"He's enjoying my pain.." Brain muttered. If not for the crushing defeat and then grogrowth he had received due to Shalltear, he may have lost all hope again.

On the other hand, the members of Blue Rose had all dropped to their hands and knees and a devastated expression possessed their faces. Lakyus and Gagaran had spent years honing their craft, and they were do easily defeated. Evileye, who had spent the majority of her existence as a force beyond hunan comprehension, was now reduced to an oversized fly. She was barely able to call herself a nuisance at this point; so utterly outmatched.

Ainzach watched from beside Momon and Ainz. He couldn't believe his eyes. 4 Adamantite level fighters, rendered completely useless. Such strength, could such a thing be possible? Was everyone from the Sorcerer Kingdom, who came here with his Majesty, capable of such power? His mouth was dry as he spoke..

"He.. H-he's a Demon..."

**Chapter 3! Fight scenes are tough, and this was a super short one so I don't know how I'll handle longer ones?!**

**Anyway, just wanted to say that this long break helped me find my love of Overlord again. However I'm hoping I never have to take a break like that again. Reviews are welcome****, especially any pointing out spelling and grammar mistakes.**


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